U.S. Pushes Internet for Trade in Asia-Pacific

SINGAPORE: The readiness shown by some Asia-Pacific nations to embrace electronic
commerce will help ensure their economic success in the digital age, a senior
White House adviser said on Tuesday.

"I'm very impressed with the extent to which Singapore and Malaysia both
are embracing the Internet and the investments taking place'' as a result,
said Ira Magaziner, senior adviser for policy development to U.S. President
Bill Clinton.

He was speaking from the United States in a televised news conference linking
him with Singapore, Canberra and Sydney.

Magaziner, who is shepherding the Clinton administration initiative for a
Framework for Global Electronic Commerce, said Singapore and Malaysia had
shown forward thinking in establishing guidelines for Internet trade.

Encouraged by recent meetings with the two countries' officials, Magaziner
said he hoped all parties could work in the future as "equal partners to
craft a total framework together.''

But he said governments should refrain from imposing new regulations that
would stifle electronic commerce.

"We are hoping to get some kind of global agreement on what is a global
signature, what is an electronic contract,'' he said.

The Framework for Global Electronic Commerce is a key part of the Clinton
administration's agenda on trade and technology. It lays out principles and
outlines a road map for talks with trading partners to ensure a free and
open electronic market.

Critics say, however, electronic commerce is an area where the U.S. has a
strong comparative advantage and is thus already well-placed to benefit from
such an open system.

They say this is because the U.S. has a headstart in information technology
and related products and services, with exports already totalling more than
US$40 billion annually.

But Magaziner said: "This technology is going to be a boon for all of us...rather
than holding back, the best thing to do is to accelerate your own industries
in those areas.''

He said the role of governments and regulatory bodies should be minimal as
bureaucracy often poses an obstacle to progress. The market should determine
security, taxation and other trade issues, he said.

"With currency or questions of digital signatures, we think there should
be private sector leadership,'' he said.